Display and dispensing cabinet



Sept. 25, 1962 T. H. ALLEGRI DISPLAY AND DISPENSING CABINET 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1960 IN VENTOR Sept. 25, 1962 T. H. ALLEGRI DISPLAY AND DISPENSING CABINET Filed March 25., 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR P 25, 1962 T. H. ALLEGRI 3,055,548

DISPLAY AND DISPENSING CABINET Filed March 25, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 as T 1N VENT OR United States Patent 3,055,548 DISPLAY AND DISPENSING CABINET Theodore H. Allegri, 6000 Greenvale Parkway, Riverdale, Md. Filed Mar. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 17,709 3 Claims. (Cl. 221-281) This invention relates to a display and dispensing cabinet for frozen foods, other packaged and canned goods, or other vendable or displayable items, and has for its principal object the provision of a cabinet in which packages or cans will be displayed and purveyed directly to the consumer, and from which the consumer can conveniently remove a package or item, while maintaining the contents in a condition acceptable to the consumer, especially for goods purveyed in a frozen state.

This is .a continuation-in-part of my earlier application Serial No. 519,737, Display and Dispensing Cabinet, filed July 5, 1955, now abandoned.

An object of this invention is to provide a display and dispensing cabinet that can be comprised of single or multiple units, in tandem or not, as the case may be, and the units capable of being made interchangeably with single and multiple units.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic sealing means for each shelf and panel of the said display and dispensing cabinet which will seal the cabinet immediately after each item has been removed therefrom, and to so construct the said display and dispensing cabinet that a layer of cold air will envelope the shelf, the shelf panels, and the packaged or canned goods contained therein.

Another object of this invention is to provide a special way of constructing said display and dispensing cabinet so that displays of packaged or canned goods may be restocked by an operator or merchandiser from the rear of the display and dispensing cabinet while the consumer is making a selection from the front of the said cabinet.

Another object of this invention is to provide for the removal of the shelf panel units for the purposes of repairing the mechanism or adding to or subtracting from the outward or inward dimensional properties of said panel units, and otherwise changing the said dimensions to conform to the shape and characteristics of the article to be displayed or vendcd.

A further object of this invention is to provide a gear operated, spring actuated mechanism that does not require the removal of the merchandise to replace the shelf, since once the merchandise has been removed and the shelf has been released, the shelf will return to its original position in the said cabinet, and in so doing it will automatically load itself with the next item contained in the aforesaid shelf panel unit.

A further object of this invention is to provide for an adequate display of advertising signs and mess-ages on the said cabinet and to provide a canopy for the said cabinet which will contain either a still, rcel type, or animated display advertising sign therein.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a means for defrosting and keeping free from frost the exterior display surfaces of the said cabinet by means of resistance wire strips, molding flashing or the like 3,055,548 Patented Sept. 25, 1962 ice Another object is to provide for the introduction of air of a lower relative humidity to the air ambient to the exterior surfaces of the said cabinet for the purposes of maintaining said cabinet free from frost.

Still another object of this invention is to elevate the said cabinet over the present super-market type of store gondola so that dry groceries or merchandise may be displayed below the said cabinet, thus enabling the proprietor of said cabinet to further increase his store space utilization factor by using the air space hitherto virtually unused in shopping emporiums, supermarkets and the like.

Another object of this invention is to maintain the low temperature refrigerating apparatus, compressors and the like in a central location and supply the said cabinet with refrigerant from this central source.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown the preferred form in which I have contemplated applying the principles of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a preferred form of the display and dispensing cabinet;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of a modification involving a multiple unit display and dispensing cabinet with top removed showing how the said cabinet may be restocked from the rear;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through the preferred form of the said cabinet showing the mannor in which a package is dispensed, the section being taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the gear operated, spring-actuated shelf mechanism taken on line 44 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing the package supporting arms and the direction of their rotation, taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to FIGURE 3, showing the disposition of the cold plates supplying low temperature to the said cabinet;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary frontal elevation of the said cabinet;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary horizontal section of the said cabinet, showing the disposition of the pipe and shield supplying air at a lower relative humidity to the face of said cabinet, taken on line 88 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, showing the manner in which refrigerant is piped into and gases are led away from the said cabinet, and showing the preferred manner of fastening said cabinet to a masonry wall over the store gondola, taken on line 99 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE l0 is a side elevational view, showing the disposition of the cold plates and refrigerant pipe lines;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary top plan view of the cold plates and pipe feeder lines, taken on line 1111 of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a front elevational view of a modification of a multiple unit wherein the cabinet and gondola are formed as an integral unit or entity;

FIGURE 13 is a side elevational view of the modification of FIGURE 12 and showing the refrigerating feeder pipe lines supported from brackets in a masonry wall, and, in addition, illustrating the method in which 3 the said cabinet is supported by the gondola, taken on line 13-13 of FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary top plan View of an ejector frame illustrating the method of operating the frame by means of gears, gear racks, and spring-actuated extension leaves;

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the ejector frame showing the gear rack fastened to the sides of the frame, and a portion of the spring-actuated extension leaves for retracting the frame into the loadcd position, taken on line 15-15 of FIGURE 14;

FIGURE 16 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the ejector frame showing the manner in which the spring is fastened to the floor of the cabinet and to the rearmost extension leaf, view taken on line 1616 of FIGURE 14; and

FIGURE 17 is a fragmentary plan view of the said cabinet illustrating the manner in which a strip containing resistance wires is used as molding for the cabinet loading doors in order to eliminate frosting of the cabinet, section taken on line 1717 of FIGURE 12.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first particularly to FIGURE 1:

FIGURE 1 is a front isometric view of a gondola 20 of the conventional type used in retail distribution outlets, comprised of a plurality of gondola shelves 21 and a top shelf 23. Above the gondola 20 the cabinet is suspended adjacent to a masonry wall 49 by means of an upper cabinet support bracket 84 and a lower cabinet support bracket 91, shown in FIGURE 9. In the preferred form and concept of this invention, the said display and dispensing cabinet 22 includes a plurality of doors 40, each of said doors 40 opening by means of a door latch 38 and door hinges 39, providing access to stock the interior of the said cabinet behind the door 40 with packages 41 of frozen feed, which are of various shapes and outward dimensions, said doors 40 being made in such manner as to accommodate the desired variations in package sizes. The packages 41 are dispensed singly, and individually, but if overwraps or master cartons are supplied they are dispensed using the master carton, as, for example, cans of juices or soups may be contained in a master, or carrying, carton or container. These packages 41, therefore, are dispensed by pulling the shelf handle 42 outwardly from the cabinet 22. Handle 42 is directly below the door 40, the bottom portion of the said door 40 containing an advertising card 43 which is held in the door 40 by means of a card holder 44. The said card holder 44 may be extended as far up the door 40 as deemed necessary in order to properly reveal the nature of the contents of the said packages 41 together with price information and other desired information. The packages 41 are held laterally by side vertical cold plates 26 and from the rear by a rear vertical cold plate 25 which extends across the back of the cabinet 22 but which in the convenience and necessity of manufacture may be segmentized in the rearward portion of the cabinet 22 in order to attain the necessary low temperature atmosphere deemed necessary for maintaining the packages 41 contained in the cabinet 22 in an acceptable condition. The side vertical cold plates 26 are tack welded or suitably secured to the rear vertical cold plate 25, or may be fabricated integrally to the plate 25 in the manner of a wraparound roll bond sheathing fashioned according to the latest developments within the skills of those skilled in the arts of refrigeration. Between the bottom shelf cold plate 24 and the side vertical cold plates 26 are positioned the upper supporting arms 45 that support the column of packages 41, and the lower supporting arms 46 used to temporarily support the column of packages 41 while one of the packages 41 is extracted from the said cabinet 22 by means of pulling the handle 42 forward, thereby ejecting one of the packages 41 from the cabinet 22. An ejector frame pinion gear 47 rotating in a shelf spindle socket 48 permits a backward and forward rotating motion to each upper supporting arm and each lower supporting arm 47, thereby permitting ejection of one of the packages 41. The bottom shelf cold plate 24 is insulated by means of Fiberglass or a suitable thickness of bottom shelf insulation 27 in order to maintain the proper low temperatures Within the cabinet 22. The rear cabinet wall 29 contains a body of rear vertical insulation 28 as indicated. The top of the cabinet 30 contains a plurality of canopy brackets 31 which support the canopy 32, an air supply pipe 34, and a plurality of fluorescent lighting fixtures 35. The cabinet 22 is susceptible of being used as a series of wall cabinets 22, in that more than one wall cabinet 22 may be placed side-by-side along the wall 45 of a distribution outlet, and thus there is a pipe coupling 33 which may be a flexible coupling to permit a tolerance in the assembling of the cabinets 22 and the air supply pipe 34 for the purposes of the installation of the said cabinet 22. The air supply pipe 34 feeds air to vertically disposed supply feeder pipes 36 located on the right and left vertical sides respectively of the end doors 40 and between each of the remainder of the plurality of intermediate doors 41. Each of the air supply feeder pipes 36 is shielded with a feeder pipe shield 37 so that the air which is blown out of the said pipes 36 is directed to the latch 38, hinges 39, the face of the door 40 and the shelf handle 42. The air that is supplied by the said pipes 36 has been dehumidified in a central refrigeration room so that it is at a lower relative humidity than the ambient air in the vicinity of the said cabinet 22, thereby eliminating the necessity for defrosting of the said wall cabinet 22. It is possible by using cutoff valves from the central refrigeration room and by introducing a reverse cycle of refrigeration to one or more of the said cabinets 22 to obtain a defrosting cycle sufficient to automatically defrost one or more of the said cabinets, this being within the skills of those versed in the art of refrigeration. It is also possible to minimize frosting of the cabinet 22 by replacing the air supply feeder pipes 36 with fluorescent lighting fixtures which would also serve to illuminate the said cabinet 22 in addition to, or instead of, using the fluorescent lighting fixtures 35 contained in the canopy 32.

FIGURE 2 is an illustration of a modification involving a rear stocking multiple cabinet with the top surface of the cabinet 50 removed. It is comprised of a gondola housing 51 integral with the said cabinet 50 and containing a plurality of gondola shelves 61. A large, continuous display window 52 of Thermopane or similar multipaned, and airsealed, glass paneling is used to enable the user to view the contents of the said cabinet 50. An air ledge 53 is formed from the top of the said cabinet 50. An air ledge 53 is formed from the top of said cabinet 50 and a parallel surface above it which has been removed in the illustration in order to expose the interior of the said cabinet 50. The air ledge 53 directs the air flow from the air supply pipes 56 downward and over the face of the display window 52, and the shelf handles 42 in order to prevent the formation of frost on these surfaces. The rear stocking multiple cabinet 50 is stocked by opening the cabinet stocking door 58 in order to gain access to the interior of the cabinet 50. Packages of frozen food products are placed into the dispensing compartments by means of rear stocking doors 55. Above the rear stocking doors 55 are two air supply pipes 56 which fill the interior of the rear stocking multiple cabinet 50 with air at a lower relative humidity than the external air ambient to the cabinet. This is accomplished by means of perforations 57 in the air supply pipes 56. Refrigeration is supplied to the rear stocking multiple cabinet 50 by an underground liquid supply header 60 and the return refrigeration line is an underground suction header 59.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 7. It illustrates the manner in which a package 41 is extracted from the said dispensing cabinet 22, wherein the ejection frame is moved from a closed posibeneath the column of packages to a substantially fully opened position exteriorly of said cabinet. Pinion racks 68 are secured to the sides 73 of each of the frames. In the preferred form, these are channel-like elements having marginal flanges 68a and 68b extending outwardly of the sides 73. These flanges provide a guide for the pinions 47, insuring alignment of the parts and proper engagement of the gear elements. At a selected distance along the pinion racks 68 are formed the gear teeth 680. These teeth are of a selected number so that as the frame moves to maximum extended position and then back, the arms 45 and 46 will be rotated through counter-clockwise and clockwise angles of 90. For the first portion of its outward movement, the frame does not offset the pinions. After a partial movement, however, the pinion gears 47 engage the teeth 68c for a sulficient time to achieve a 90 angular rotation of the arms 45 and 46. When this is accomplished, the teeth move out of engagement with the pinion gears and further movement outwardly to maximum position does not disturb the pinions. As the frame moves inwardly, the pinion gears and teeth 680 are in engagement only a sufiicient time to cause a 90 reverse rotation of the arms 45 and 46. The teeth 680 then disengage and the pinions 47 remain at rest while the frame moves to its maximum closed position. The exact position of the rack teeth 68c and the number of said teeth will vary somewhat according to the size and design of the machine. As the handle 42 is pulled forward, therefore, it eventually causes the pinion racks 68 which are fastened to the sides 73 to cause the pinion gears 47 to rotate in the pinion sockets 48 about the lower spindles 75. The lower spindles 75 cause the upper spindles 74 to turn the upper supporting arms 45 and the lower supporting arms 46. In the retracted position, the upper supporting arm supports the column of packages 41 until the handle 42 is pulled forward. When the handle 42 is pulled forward, then the column of packages 41 drops down as the upper supporting arms 45 are then positioned forward with their axes parallel to the frame sides 73, and the lower supporting arms 46 then support the column of packages 41. The spring 72, one end of which is held by the spring clip 71, the other end by the rear extension leaf 7%}, permits, when the handle 42 is pulled forward, the buliding up of the spring 72 tension necessary to retract the handle 42 and the connecting frame sides 73, causing a rearward rotation of the upper supporting arms 45 which isolates the lowest package 41 in the column supporting arms 46. The isolated package 41 then drops to the bottom shelf cold plate 24 when the handle reaches the fully retracted position, and is in position for ejection, as shown in FIGURE 6. The rearward frame side '73 is hinge fastened to the forward extension leaf 69 which is in turn pin fastened to the rear extension leaf 7 0, through which the spring 72 acts to retract the handle 42. The handle 42 is secured to the plate 67, which contains a gasket 62 for the purpose of sealing the handle 42 opening. A fluorescent light fixture 63, contained in a light deflector 63, secured by a deflector holding strip '65, permits an advertising card 43 which may be placed in the handle 42 to be viewed by the dispensing cabinet 22 user. If ilumination is required to be directed to the door 40 for advertising or display purposes, then the light deflector 63 may be reversed to throw the rays of illumination in an upward direction. As illustrated, the rear cabinet wall 29 contains the rear vertical insulation 28. In addition, the bottom of the cabinet contains the bottom shelf insulation 27, and box struts 66 support the front face of the cabinet 22 as well as the doors 40.

FIGURE 4 shows the side wall 76 and the sidewall insul-ation 77, which together with the bottom shelf insulation 27 and similar insulation in the top surface of the dispensing cabinet 22 aids in maintaining a low temperature within the said dispensing cabinet 22 which is provided by the bottom shelf cold plate 24, by the side vertical cold plates 26, and by the rear vertical cold plate 25 (shown in FIGURE 3) or similar refrigeration, such as roll bond sheathing or refrigeration techniques as applied by those skilled in the art of refrigeration. It may be seen, also, how the upper supporting arms 45 support the column of packages 41, and how the outwardly flared edges of the frame sides 73 permit the bottom package 41 in the column of packages 41 to be more readily received by the frame sides 73 in preparation for ejection.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing the upper supporting arms 45 in position to support a column of packages. The lower supporting arms 46 are shown in dotted line, and these lower supporting arms 46 rotate as shown by the directional arrows. The insulation 78 is contained in the boxstrut 66 which provides a means for fastening the front panel 79, the door latch 38, and the door hinge 39. The door 40 is shown as enlarged for the sake of clarity of detail, but in actual construction the door 40 would be less thick relative to its width, and by providing the proper clearance between the door hinge 39 of one door 40 and the contiguous door latch 38 the door 40 may be swung about its door hinges 39 so that an opening of sufficient size is provided in order to stock the said display and dispensing cabinet 22 (shown in FIGURE 1) with packages 41. The door 40 includes a door gasket 80' which seals the said cabinet 22 from the ambient external atmosphere, and a multiplicity of sheets of glass 81 which sandwich a layer of air, or a partial vacuum or an inert gas, as the case may be, in order to provide insulation without diminishing the visibility of the contents of the said display and dispensing cabinet 22.

FIGURE 6 shows the handle 42 in the at rest, or retracted, position. The column of packages 41 is shown in the supported position enclosed on the sides by the side vertical cold plate 26.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the said display and dispensing cabinet 22, showing the relationship of the door 40 to the handle 42. The manner in which the advertising card 43 is contained in the card holder 44 is also revealed in this view.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the bottom shelf insulation 27. This view shows the manner in which the front panel 79 joins the several sections of the said display and dispensing cabinet 22. The air supply feeder 36 and the feeder pipe shield 37 are the system by which the necessity for defrosting of the said cabinet 22 may be virtually eliminated. The perforations 82 in the air supply feeder pipe 36 direct the flow of the low dew point air which is blown onto the front panel 79 of the said cabinet 22. This air conditioning keeps the glass 81 (of FIGURE 17) surfaces free of frost and ice and minimizes the build-up of H081; on external working parts of the said cabinet 22.

FIGURE 9 shows the upper cabinet support bracket 84 which is tied into the masonry wall 49 or other supporting structure in a manner conventional to the building and construction arts. The upper cabinet support bracket 84 also provides a means for hanging the insulated suction header hose 86 by an upper pipe support '85 as well as supporting the display and dispensing cabinet 22. The in sulated liquid supply hose 87 is hung on the lower pipe support 88. The said display and dispensing cabinet 22 is also supported by a lower cabinet support bracket 91 which is tied into the masonry wall 49 in a manner similar to the upper cabinet support bracket 84. A fragmentary side elevational view of the gondola 20 that is used to merchandise dry groceries is shown below the said refrigerated display and dispensing cabinet 22. FIGURE 10 is a side elevational view which shows the disposition and arrangement of the cold plates in the said cabinet 22 structure. The insulated liquid supply '2 header 90 shown with insulation removed supplies the refrigerant from a remotely located compressor and engine room through the insulated liquid supply hose 87; these fed the bottom shelf cold plate 24, the rear vertical cold plate 25, and the side vertical cold plates 26. The refrigerant travels through the cold plate, absorbing heat from the interior of the said cabinet 22, and the refrigerant, which may be in a gaseous state at the exhaust end of the plate, travels through the insulated suction header hose 86 to the suction header 89 and thence back to the remotely located engine room to begin the refrigerating cycle all over, again.

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary plan view of the disposition and arrangement of the bottom shelf cold plate 24, the rear vertical cold plate 25 and the side vertical cold plates 26. The suction header is shown exhausting the insulated suction header hoses 86.

FIGURE 12 is a variation of the over and under cabinet 22 and gondola 20 illustrated in FIGURE 1. In the modification of FIGURE 12, the gondola housing 51 and the tandem cabinet unit 92 are an integral unit and are self supporting. The multiple shelf doors 93 are also a variation of the single shelf door 40 of FIGURE 1, and in this front elevational view the multiplicity of shelf handles 42 and their column of packages is revealed. The light deflector 63 serves to illuminate the shelf handles 42, and, in addition, sufficient illumination may thus be provided to illuminate the tandem gondola top shelf 94 as well as the gondola shelves 61. The cabinet support angle 99 is a horizontal member which is a means for supporting the said tandem cabinet unit 92.

FIGURE 13 is a side elevational view which illustrates the manner in which the gondola housing 51 serves as a base for the tandem cabinet unit 92, which in turn rests on the masonry floor 98. The disposition of the liquid supply header 90 and the suction header 89 in re lation to the tandem cabinet unit 92 is shown in FIGURE 13, as well as the manner in which these pipes are supported on the wall by means of the pipe supports 103. The tandem cabinet unit 92 is supported by the forward cabinet support angle 95, by a gusset 96, and the rear cabinet support angle 97. The space occupied by the tandem gondola top shelf 94 is visible under the gusset 96.

FIGURE 14 is a plan view of the handle 42 and the frame sides 73 through which the bottom shelf cold plate 24 may be seen. The pinion gears 47 turn when engaged by the teeth of the pinion racks 68 as the frames are pulled to their extended position. When the frame sides 73 are pulled outwardly by the handle 42, the forward extension leaf 69, which is attached to the shelf side 73 by means of the forward leaf pin 100, pulls the rear extension leaf 70 to which it is attached by means of the intermediate leaf pin 101. The rear extension leaf 70 rotates about the rear leaf pin 102 which is contained by .the spring clip 71.

FIGURE 15 is an enlarged side elevational View of the frame sides 73 and the pinion rack 68, showing how the frame plate is fastened to the frame side 73 and how the plate 67 is provided with a gasket 62 that seals the interior, refrigerated atmosphere of the side display and dispensing cabinet 22 from the external unrefrigerated atmosphere.

FIGURE 16 shows an enlarged rear elevational view of the frame sides 73 resting on the bottom shelf cold plate 24. The rear extension leaf 70 is fastened to the forward extension leaf 69 (not shown) by the intermediate leaf pin 101 on the left hand side shown, and it is fastened to the rear leaf pin 102 on the right hand side shown. The tension which retracts the frame side 73 is supplied by the spring 72, which is fastened on one end to the rear extension leaf 70 and on the other end to the spring clip 71.

FIGURE 17 is a variation of the manner in which frosting may be virtually eliminated from the door 40. This fragmentary horizontal section being taken on the same line 8'8 as FIGURE 8, proposes an alternate means of construction in which a resistance wire strip 83 completely encloses the door 40 opening in the front panel 79. The low heat temperature serves to break any ice or frost bond that may form between the door gasket 80, which is set in the door 40, and the resistance wire strip 83.

While specific forms of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from th spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A dispensing cabinet for frozen food packages, the combination therewith of a vertically disposed insulated casing, at least one vertically disposed compartment in said casing, said compartment forming a holding and guiding means for a vertical column of stacked packages of uniform depth, closure means providing access to said compartment, a sliding ejection frame positioned at the base of said column and opening upwardly to receive a package dropped therefrom, said frame being movable from a closed position beneath said column to a substantially fully open position exteriorly of said cabinet, spring means normally retracting said frame to closed position, a pair of rotatable vertical spindles positioned on opposite sides of said column, gear means on each of said spindles, gear racks attached to the outer side walls of said frame and moving in meshing engagement with said gear means, said gear racks being positioned toward the rear of said frame and being shorter in length than said frame, an upper pair of arms mounted on said spindles and normally positioned, when said ejection frame is closed, in a position beneath said column, a lower pair of arms on said spindles, the distance between the inner opposed faces of said arms being substantially the same as the depth of each of said stacked packages, said lower pair of arms being disposed on said spindles at a fixed angle to said upper pair of arms whereby as said ejection frame is moved outwardly, said racks will engage said gear means for only a portion of the travel of said frame to rotate said spindles a limited distance in one direction and said upper pair of arms will be rotated away from said column and said lower pair of arms will be rotated beneath said column, and when said spindles are rotated in the reverse directlon by movement of said frame inwardly, said upper pair of arms will be rotated away from said column.

2. A dispensing cabinet as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cabinet is provided with a bottom plate upon which said ejection frame slides and wherein said ejection frame is formed with an open bottom, said open bottom permitting the ejected packages to drop downwardly through said bottom and outwardly of the cabinet as said ejection frame is moved to said extended position.

3. A dispensing cabinet for frozen food packages, the combination therewith of a vertically disposed insulated casing, at least one vertically disposed compartment in said casing, said compartment forming a holding and guiding means for a vertical column of stacked packages, closure means providing access to said compartment, a sliding ejection frame positioned at the base of said column and opening upwardly to receive a package dropped therefrom, said frame being movable from a closed position beneath said column to a substantially fully open position exteriorly of said cabinet, a pair of rotatable spindles positioned on opposite sides of said frame, gear means fixed to each of said spindles, gear racks on the outer side walls of said frame positioned to move in meshing engagement with said gear means, and means operable by rotation of said spindles upon each successive outward and inward sliding movement of said frame for discharging said packages one at a time from the bottom of said stack into position for ejection from said cabinet by said frame, said gear racks comprising 10 outwardly opening channels extending for a substanti l References Cited in the file of this patent portion of the length of said ejection frame, said racks UNITED STATES PATENTS having gear teeth means formed in the base of said chan- 1 nel and extending along only a portion of the length Nlas "T' July 918 thereof whereby said gear means is in engagement with 5 1,611,742 Hammer 2 1926 said gear racks for only a portion'of the travel of said 203697o Porter 1936 frame for rotating said spindles through an angle of ap- Kelly SePt- 1950 proximately ninety degrees, said gear means being re- FOREIGN PATENTS ceived in said channels to thereby form a guide means 143,712 Australia I I E Octv 8 1951 for said ejection frame, 10 

